Skipping Stones
by District11-Olive
Summary: "I am the Game Master [...]. They do not know me by any other name, but many believe I am the master of much more than just games." The sequel to All Eyes and the second installment of the Zero Verse AU; SYOT.
1. Ripples Part One

_I skip stones on the darkened sky,  
_ _To make ripples of shooting stars_

 _―_ _Unknown_

* * *

 **Rosalie "Mantra" Acuff, 21, Victor of the 231** **st** **Hunger Games**

* * *

I hold my breath as I feel my stomach drop. I know that I am going down, but I am unable to tell how far. I count the seconds to keep myself from panicking; this feels so much like visiting the Game Master, but I know this will be different. This blindfold is itchier and stings my eyes but I am going somewhere much better than the Game Master's lair. I will be meeting the two Victors that started this entire revolution and I will ask them to set me free.

It has been four years since I was released from the arena. I was seventeen, but I managed to kill one of the Gladiators in my arena with the help of my ally, Tucker. He was over a foot taller than me and maybe twice as heavy, but I was the one that landed the fatal knife cut to the Gladiator girl's throat. She had been separated from her team and we saw her before she saw us. It was a completely accidental series of events, but it landed me here and still alive four years later. It landed Tucker a spot in the gallery where cremated tributes can be seen by Hunger Games fans from across Panem.

One second of quick thinking and I get to live. No matter that I never would have even dreamed of taking on a Gladiator if Tucker hadn't been with me. No matter that he disarmed the girl and struggled to keep her away from me. I was the one that sliced the knife across her throat so it was me that got to live. Tucker died two days later, eaten alive by a swarm of mutant bugs. It took me years to stop crying whenever a thought of him crossed my mind, which was nearly every day.

"They will see you now," one of the burly men that had met me on the outskirts of District One said as he removed the blindfold from my eyes. Thankfully the light is dim here and it takes only a couple of seconds to adjust. I'm in a wide hallway that is basically just packed dirt held up by steel columns. It looks unsteady to say the least.

"Okay thanks," I say between quick breaths. Though the area is big enough, I feel claustrophobic. This place could come down at any moment and the only thing my body wants to do right now is run far and fast away from here. I ignore the thoughts of escaping and focus myself back on the reason I am here. A debriefing, of course since that is why I was summoned, and a favour to ask.

The second man pushes open a makeshift door on my left side. It's nothing more than a piece of wood that is attached to a steel column and is only sort of cut to fit over the opening. It takes him a few seconds to move it open enough for me to slip inside, then the piece is put back into place behind me.

When I see them my heart skips a beat. With the scarves wrapped around the upper and lower parts of their faces, only exposing their eyes, it's easy to imagine that I am back with the Game Master. Instead of a black mask, however, they have coloured scarves to conceal their faces. The one closest to me has an orange covering and the one behind him has a red one. Their eyes peer back at me, but without the rest of the expression I am unable to read them.

"Welcome, Mantra." The one with the orange scarf addresses me by my code name and it takes me a moment to realize that he is talking to me. I had never heard anyone use it aloud until yesterday night, when the men lead me onto a small hovercraft. Before then I only read it to myself in the letters I received from The Blood Children.

"Thank you," I say softly, unable to believe who I now know I am speaking to. Their eyes look a lot younger than I thought they would, in fact they couldn't be more than thirty or thirty-five. I had a very clear image of what they would look like, but neither of them fit the bill.

I know that The Blood Children was created several years before I was even chosen as tribute, around the year of the 225th Hunger Games. I'd assumed that the leaders were many years older, maybe Victors from the 200th Hunger Games or slightly thereafter. If the two people standing in front of me are Victors, they're probably from the time around the 220th Hunger Games.

"You look afraid," the orange scarf speaks again.

"I'm not," I say, swallowing thickly. "I'm not afraid. You just don't look like how I thought you would."

The one in the red scarf is the one to speak this time. "We are younger than you expected, right?"

"Right," I breathe. "I don't mean to offend you. I'm here to help you with whatever you ask from me."

"Our sources told us that you were summoned back to the Game Master last month," orange scarf begins. "We would like to know everything that he said during that meeting."

I somehow knew that this is what they would want, still I had hoped there would be something bigger that they would ask of me. Something that would really start to drive the revolution forward, maybe. Still, I was prepared for this.

"The Game Master wanted information about The Blood Children. Well he didn't use that name, but I knew that's what he wanted. He was looking for you, and for someone he called Essence-"

"He knew her codename," orange scarf says, turning back towards his partner. After a moment he looks back at me. "Continue."

"I told him that I did not know of any of you, and he offered me anything I wanted if I would tell him. I knew that he wouldn't let me go until I told him something, so I said there was a rumour going about that the hideout was in the wilderness far from the fences of District Two. He accepted that."

"What did he give you?" Red scarf asks.

I can feel my face heating up, anger burning through me as it has anytime I think of what he threatened me with. "I wouldn't accept any gift, so he threatened my brother if I didn't tell him what he needed to know."

It is silent and I know they feel sorry for me, but that is the last thing I want from them. "I'd like to ask a favour, if I could."

Orange scarf's head tilts to one side as he looks at me, but it's red scarf who answers me. "You can ask, but know that we are not well funded down here. We cannot give much, but we will try."

"It's rumoured that you have the means to change faces," I begin, biting my lip when I pause. "If that's true, I want you to change me so that I can go back to District Zero."

The two exchange a look again, before orange scarf speaks. "It is true that we've done it a handful of times. My question is why you would want to return to that awful place."

I take a deep breath, trying to stop the tears from rushing to my eyes. "That awful place is my home. I was born there and my family is still there. He threatened my family and I want to make sure they're alright, but as a Victor I am exempt from District Zero."

"I'm not sure that you're giving this as much thought as you should," orange scarf says. "Your family would not recognize you, or believe you if you told them. As far as they know you disappeared, and to the Zero people that is as permanent as death. And this is all assuming that you were placed in their sector, which is never guaranteed."

"I know it's a long shot, but this is all I'm asking," I plead. "I just want to protect my family."

Red scarf steps forward and places a hand on orange scarf's shoulder. "We could place her. Socket said that we have access."

"It's a stupid risk even if we could," orange scarf huffs. "There aren't as many of us left as there used to be. We need all of us."

"What do you mean there aren't as many of us left?" I ask, not caring that I am interrupting their argument.

Orange scarf looks away, but red scarf meets my eyes. "The Game Master has been summoning more Victors than usual, and not all of them are coming back on our radar. We think he's imprisoning them somewhere where we can't find them."

My heart drops into my stomach. I was just there, at the Game Master's offices. I could have been one of the people he is talking about but somehow I'm not. "If he's kidnapping Victors, then why did he let me go?"

Red scarf takes a step towards me. "We don't know, but we're not going to let him try again. We brought you here to offer you safety from him. He hasn't been able to find us for over ten years, and if you want to stay with us we can help you disappear too."

"B-but... my family," I stutter, tears beginning to blur my vision. "I need to be with them."

"We can try to arrange that, but it will take some time," he continues. "Until then we can promise you safety here."

"I'm just supposed to leave?" I ask. "Won't he know when he can't find me?"

"We don't think he'll come looking or you again, but if he does it won't matter. Mantra, we don't know what he is planning but it's something big. Maybe even bigger than the new rules in Zero, who knows."

"What new rules?" There is so much I don't know about what is happening.

Red scarf sighs. "Executions for anyone found with three or more infractions on their record. The President said that Zero's population was getting too high, but that it was too much of a risk to relocate them to other districts."

"But there were new sectors?"

"They filled up within months. We know that the Game Master is behind this, but there is nothing we can do about it now."

This time I can't help the tears from coming. "You have to do something."

"There is nothing we can do right now," red scarf says. "But we're working on it."

"Well work harder," I choke out. "You have to let me get him out, please."

"Get who out?"

"My brother had two infractions when I left," I sob. "If he's still there I have to get him out before they hurt him."

"We'll have Socket try and locate him," he promises. "If he's in Zero he will know about the new laws and he'll be careful. It's safer to leave him there, we have not been able to successfully remove anyone since the security was beefed."

"He can't die," I whisper. "I can't let him die."

Red scarf wraps his arms around me and I lean into his chest. He smells like must and his shirt is covered in grime, but I don't pull away. I'm going to stay here and find a way to get my family out of Zero, no matter what it takes.

* * *

 **A/N: Here it is, the sequel to** ** _All Eyes_** **that I have been considering posting for literal months and only just decided to actually post now. To be honest, I'm unsure if there is even a place for SYOT-type stories anymore, let alone a major AU one, but I decided to give it a chance. If I get tributes, I will write the story. If I don't, I will delete this and pretend it never happened.**

* * *

 **I am looking for 15 tributes from District Zero, the district that was created in my AU as a criminal camp. I am not going to outline my entire verse here again because that would take an awful long time, but please check out my profile under 'The Zero Verse' if you are unfamiliar because it is quite different from what is usually done in SYOTs. The history after** ** _All Eyes_** **has been added, so even those who were with me in** ** _All Eyes_** **might want to go check it out.**

 **One major change that has been made since** ** _All Eyes_** **is that there are now fifteen sectors (A-O) and each sector will send only one tribute into the Hunger Games. This is due to the fact that District Zero has undergone major population fluctuations over the past few years, resulting in a steep incline then decline in numbers. This will also allow me to take on fewer tributes and really build on their plots and character arcs.**

* * *

 **If you choose to submit, here are a few things I would like you to keep in mind;**

\- **Read the summary on my prologue. Seriously, you will be lost if you don't.**  
 **\- Regular age restraints still apply; tributes must be between 12-18 years old.  
** \- **Each and every person in District Zero is very poor; do not send in any rich kids.  
** \- **This is the 235** **th** **Hunger Games so there are no war stories; rebel stories could be used but please keep it as a minor character point, because the rebel movement is still in its first stages.  
** \- **I will not accept any trained tributes because that is not something that would happen in this district.  
** \- **Tributes must have either been born in Zero, sent there because of a family member, or sent there due to their own crime. I would prefer most tributes to have been born there.  
** \- **Zero citizens are now aware of the Hunger Games, but not everyone believes that they are a real event. The Hunger Games is not broadcasted to District Zero.  
** \- **District Zero is filled with gypsies, tramps, and thieves. Either make the tribute fit in or tell me why they don't fit in. Petty criminals would be great, but please no murder stories. This story will have enough murder I can promise you that.  
** \- **District Ten, Eleven, and Twelve no longer exist in this verse.  
** \- **There are no volunteers in this verse.**

 **Please direct any questions to me in a private message. I know this can be a confusing universe especially for those that didn't read** ** _All Eyes_** **but I will do everything I can to help you understand it.**

* * *

 **The form will be up on my profile under the 'Skipping Stones Tribute Form and Guidelines' topic. The deadline for sending in tributes is Monday July 4th, 2016 at 10PM EST.**

* * *

 **I look forward to either making a fool of myself for posting this or starting the journey to completing another epic story. Either way, I'm into it.**

 **That's all, and welcome to** ** _Skipping Stones!_**


	2. Ripples Part Two

" _We are here but for a second, but our impact ripples through time."_ _  
_ _―_ _Neetal Parekh_

* * *

 **The Game Master, Location Unknown**

* * *

Panem is unhappy.

It is as the history books describe the times when the Hunger Games involved all of Panem's districts. District Zero is growing larger every day, but the President will not do what is necessary to stop it. The unrest will not end until either the rebels get what they demand or Panem stops them. The President has already shown that he is not going to do what needs to be done. He would rather deal with the problem as his ancestors did.

He will be the reason for Panem's downfall as President Snow was the reason for the Capitol's. He will be the one standing in the way of our nation's greatness. He will allow the rebels to ruin everything that the Hunger Games works to protect.

He will have to be subdued.

The people do not know much of me. I am the Game Master, the mysterious voice that appears on their television screens during the Hunger Games and disappears for months afterward. They do not know me by any other name, but many believe I am the master of much more than just games.

They are right. I am more influential than any individual or group in Panem. I control even the President, though he does not know this himself. I am the Game Master, but also much more than my simple title.

I can save Panem from the impending rebellion before it even has the chance to begin. I can ensure that District Zero does not erupt the way the other districts have in the past. I can maintain life as the citizens of Panem know it; as it should be.

There is only one man standing in my way, and that has never stopped me before. I will stop at nothing to protect my nation, and he will not be able to stand in my way. Not if he wants to keep his useless title and what little power it gives him.

My advisors tell me that there may be only years left before the rebels can gather their forces enough to make demands. I believe we may have less than that, but there is still time. I have already begun the process, but it has not been easy. Many of the past Victors have simply gone missing and not even I can locate them. The ones that we have found are in my possession, but there are too many still at large.

I must find my Victors and bring them home. I know they are the reason for this uprising. They have abused the lives we have given them outside of the reeking smells of District Zero. They have manipulated my people, made them join their reckless cause. My Victors have done so much to ruin the nation that has given them everything they could ever want.

For years Panem saw peace, but this is slowly draining from our districts. I know whom I need to find, the leaders of this so called rebellion that will threaten the prosperity of my nation. My own children, my Victors; they are the ones who have betrayed me even after all I have gifted them with.

I will not stand for this. I will crush this rebellion. I will save my nation and my people. Panem will see peace for hundreds of years past today. We will not be stripped of everything we have gained. We will not repeat our history.

I will simply not allow it.

"Bring in our newest addition," I whisper into the intercom in front of me. I get no answer but I am certain they heard me. My staff is top of the line, the most trusted of my people; they always hear me.

My door slides open several minutes later and I nod to the guards that enter. Herald Truly and Nolan Delores, two of my most trusted guards that have been in my service since the day they were eligible.

Between them is my visitor, a Victor from the 229th Hunger Games by the name of Segan Rooney. She will be twenty-two this year if I remember correctly, but she doesn't look a day over eighteen if you ask me. Her eyes were what drew me to her when her batch of tributes was chosen. I thought they would look lovely on television.

"Good evening, Miss Rooney," I say cordially. She is filthy, not at all how I would have released her into her new life. Her eyes, though, her eyes are as beautiful as I remember. She glares at me and I smile behind my mask.

One wouldn't expect me to have let her or my guards see me without a mask, would they? That would be a very unwise decision on my part. No one in all of Panem knows my identity and that is the reason I am still able to walk among my people. How I would hate to give up my monthly visits home.

I wave the guards in and they place Segan down into a plush chair that sits opposite to my desk. To her credit, she doesn't squirm or try to run away. I imagine she realizes that she has nowhere to go. After all, she doesn't even know where we are right now. None of my visitors ever come into my headquarters without a healthy dose of tranquilizer.

"I am looking for someone," I begin coyly. "I hoped you might help me in my search."

"I'm sure I couldn't," she responds dryly. "Though if I could I still wouldn't."

I laugh shallowly. "Now that's no way to talk to me after all I have done for you, dear. Don't you remember the last time we met?"

She visibly tenses. "How could I forget?"

"It was such fun, yes," I say, remembering the young girl that was brought to see me after her release. She was the only one in her arena to get out, killing a Gladiator with the same poison plant that had accidentally killed her ally. I asked her, as I always did, where she wanted to go. She chose to live in District Seven where she still had some family. Though, not after she spent a few nights here with me. "What could I do to make it worth your while?"

"Nothing," she says quickly, but I know she is lying. Everyone has their price and I am more than capable of paying hers. The District Zero children are simple minds, even after living in the districts for many years. She will tell me what I desire to know.

"Oh, I think I can offer you something that would make you realize I am not the villain here, my dear."

"There is nothing you can give me."

"I just want to know where they are. That's it, and then I will give you anything you ask for."

"I don't know," she stammers. "People change locations so often, and there are so many people. I've probably never met-"

"Apex and Discord," I say simply and her eyes widen. "I want to know where they are."

"If you have their code names already then why would you need to ask me where they are?"

"My people have been unable to locate them in the past three years, but I do have contacts that could give me these names. I will offer again- tell me where they are and I will give you anything you ask."

"My niece," she breathes after a few moments. "She needs surgery but my family can't afford it."

"That can be arranged," I smile. Like I said, simple minds. I would be willing to give so much more, but I have rarely had to. As much as they want to believe otherwise, my children want to help me. I have given them more than their real parents ever could.

"They're outside Zero," she whispers so softly that I almost have to lean in to hear her. "Underground."

I nod and continue to look at her, prompting her with my silence to say more. She does, her eyes flickering from side to side as if someone might come out and shoot her for what she is about to say.

"Outside of Sector C, some yards away from the fences. I don't know more than that. They could have moved; I haven't been there in a while and they didn't tell me the location when they brought me. I just recognized C."

"Excellent," I nod, typing the information into my wrist device even as she is speaking. How lucky of me to have picked one of the Sector C tributes to help me. "She may go. Ensure that her niece receives the necessary medical treatment."

Segan hangs her head as she is lead out, but she should be elated. She was able to get something wonderful for her family in exchange for such a minor piece of information. She will return to her life in District Seven and likely never be called on again. Many authority figures would hurt her for the information she just gave me, but not me. I would never hurt my children; they are far more valuable than anyone knows.

* * *

 **A/N: Here it is, the second out of three prologues that I will be publishing. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Today marks the halfway point for submissions. I haven't gotten many but I'm still going strong planning for this story hoping that I will actually be able to write it. If you didn't already know or forgot, the deadline for tribute submissions is Monday July 4** **th** **at 10PM EST. That leaves you about a week and a half as of this update.**

 **Not much else to say, really. I'm excited for this story to really get going and hope I see more interest in it soon.**


	3. Ripples Part Three

" _There's more truth in a ripple of water than in a clear day."_ _  
_ _―_ _Ellie Lieberman_ _,_ _Society's Foundlings_

* * *

 **Sibela Boswell, Head Warden, District Zero**

* * *

I am so tired.

It has been many years since I first began as the Head Warden of this district, more years than any other in my position has ever lasted. I took this job just months after the 214th Hunger Games having just had my thirty-seventh birthday, and now in the weeks before the 235th Hunger Games I am approaching the age of fifty-nine.

And I am nowhere near where I thought I would be twenty-one years after starting my career. I thought there would be change, and there has been, but I thought it would be good. When I learned of the true nature of District Zero during my years in government I knew that I wanted to be the one to work towards that change. I wanted to end the suffering here, but it is far from gone.

Our streets cry every night and nothing I have done seems to soothe them.

I am overworked and exhausted, but I have accomplished nothing here. Every day I wake up to hear the number of people hurt, reprimanded, or killed. Each year I have to submit the statistics of how many of my people still remain here and how many new ones I have welcomed to this hell. Each night I have to try to sleep with the weight of what still needs to be done hanging over me. Each morning I wake up with no better plans of how to accomplish any of it.

I want to retire but I cannot, not knowing who will likely replace me. I have not been able to make things better for District Zero but I like to think that my hand has not made things worse. The man that would sit at this desk if I left today will not be able to say the same. He is a tyrant; he will not care for them like I do.

I can do nothing to help District Zero but I will still protect it. No matter how tired I am each morning and how many of the deep wrinkles on my face have been caused by hours of regretful thought. I will keep going for the people I have come to love, even knowing how they curse me for everything wrong about this district.

In two weeks time the recon team will return to my district and they will take fifteen more children with them back to the Capitol. There is nothing I can do for those that are taken, but I do have some power. The Game Master has requested my help in selecting this year's tributes, and today I must do just that. I have put the task off as long as I can.

I open up the file on my computer and my screen fills with tiny pictures that are barely discernable from each other. I click on the one at the top left corner and the first child's file opens automatically. I look away before I can see the photo. Bile itches at the back of my throat but I swallow it down. This is something I have been asked to do, and perhaps somehow I can help the children.

While it sounds awful, I am willing to trade the older or perhaps less promising children for the younger ones that might still have a life out of this district. I have seen it happen more times than I can count where the chosen children are ones with clean records. It breaks my heart to think that if they'd lived they might be out working in the Capitol by now. Instead they are sitting as piles of ashes in the gallery and their families don't even know they're dead.

I take a deep breath and turn back to my computer screen. The face of a boy greets me, one with curly, brown hair and a tight-lipped frown. His biography tells me that he is sixteen but he looks much younger. My heart breaks just a little bit as I look at him, but I force my eyes to stay dry. I check his status and let out a long breath when I see that he is marked as 'Decision Pending'.

His record is clean.

I quickly find his name on my list and scratch it out. I do not want this boy to be selected and I can only hope that the Game Master agrees.

I move on to the second child and this time I cannot stop the tears from coating my eyes. Looking back at me with a tentative smile, like she is unsure what to do in front of the camera, is a young child that doesn't even look like she could be eligible for selection. She has thin, brown hair and bright eyes, the very picture of innocence.

I choke back sobs as I read her biography, immediately wishing I had not even bothered to look. The girl is indeed eligible for selection, but only by a few days. She will turn twelve in two weeks, actually on the date that the recon team is scheduled to arrive. I quickly search for her name on the list, but after two tries I still cannot find it.

I look back to her file and that's when I understand why I cannot find her on my list. At the end of her biography, right above the District Zero seal, is her status- 'Selected.'

I slam my hands down on the table and the sobs begin to leak out alongside the tears. She is on this file just to torture me, it seems, because the Game Master has already selected the girl. At her young age she will be taken from her family and pushed into an arena with the Capitol's Gladiators. By the end of the month she will most likely be dead.

I want to close down the file, lock my computer, and simple go back to my apartment. I want nothing to do with selecting the children who are going to be taken from their home and killed. I want nothing to do with the cruel Game Master or the trigger-happy recon team. I want to get as far away from this place as my legs can take me, but I am unable to do any of that.

As much as it kills me I have to be here for the people who hate me more than they hate the President himself. I have to look at hundreds of children, fifteen of which could be dead by the month's end. I have to do all of this because I refuse to just sit back and allow District Zero to suffer.

I have to do this because, as much proof as I have to the contrary, I still believe that District Zero can be saved.

* * *

 **A/N: Here I am with the final prologue! After this chapter I will begin by introducing the tributes via the same sort of abduction chapters that I used at the start of** _ **All Eyes.**_ **If anyone is wondering what the structure of this story will look like, I am fairly certain it will follow the same format as the first story.**

 **Thank you to everyone that submitted. I got some pretty amazing tributes that I am very excited about writing. I will PM everyone that submitted whether their tribute was accepted or not, and I will be happy to discuss any reasons I might have had for not accepting submissions.**

 **Without further ado, the tribute list!**

* * *

 **Sector A- Taryn Enis, 18**

 **Sector B- Adriel Harding, 13**

 **Sector C- Nadia Preminger, 17**

 **Sector D- Ellis Ockley, 18**

 **Sector E- Anya Chevalle, 18**

 **Sector F- Asa Derrain, 15**

 **Sector G- Delilah Nissen, 18**

 **Sector H- Flynn Cutrone, 16**

 **Sector I- Penelope Hayes, 16**

 **Sector J- Enoch Jabari, 14**

 **Sector K- Alifia Willings, 18**

 **Sector L- Olin Greer, 17**

 **Sector M- Riley Verbeck, 12**

 **Sector N- Brevin Domingos, 16**

 **Sector O- Lena Castillo, 17**

 **Gladiator- Syndal Pagonis, 18**

 **Gladiator- Castor Hanno, 18**

 **Gladiator- Delsa Carres, 17**

* * *

 **Thank you again to all submitters and for everyone that has taken the time to read and review. The blog has been posted at skippingstoneshg . blogspot . com (without spaces), the link can also be found on my profile under the 'Zero Verse' topic. Let me know what you think about this story's tributes and Gladiators!**

 **That's all for now, hopefully the first abduction chapter will be up soon.**


	4. Sectors A-C

" _That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."_ _  
_ _―_ _N.H. Kleinbaum_ _,_ _Dead Poets Society_

* * *

 **Abductions Sectors A-C**

* * *

 **Taryn Enis, 18, Sector A**

* * *

My pockets are heavy by the time I make it up to the fifth floor of the barracks. I'm starving having been out all night and then most of this morning, but I can still feel the grin stiffening my face. I did well last night and the late hours were worth it. We'll have money for extras this week, I'm sure about that, so I have no reason not to be smiling.

I have to push my entire weight against the door for it to open while jamming the knob sharply to the left. I think most of the door are like that, because I can hear a solid rhythm of slamming from almost anywhere in the barracks. At least out lock still works, not all of them do.

My two younger siblings are still in the room when I come in. They both turn when I come in and I give them a quick wave. I'm exhausted but I can't be sleeping all day, that's the kind of suspicious behaviour that can get you flagged. I'm not about to explain why I'm so tired when curfew is pretty strictly enforced these days. That would definitely not be a fun conversation to have with one of the wardens.

"Where were you all night?" Daya asks, her face twisted in annoyance. She has always been the responsible one even as one of the younger children and, though I know I'm not about to be a stand in mother when ours is out, it bothers me when she tries to treat me like a child. I'm two years older than her, if she wants someone to baby she can take it out on Garret.

"Out," I say over my shoulder.

"You said we were going to go last night," Garret whines. "We were ready."

I mentally slap myself. I had totally forgotten that I'd promised them a night away from the barracks. I had been trying to find the time for weeks to bring them to see the fight rings, but I've been busy. After Kahl tipped me off about one of the bar owners being called to the warden's office I couldn't pass it up. I didn't even think about Daya or Garret.

"I'm sorry," I say, flinging myself down on the cot beside Garret. "Tonight. Wait, no tomorrow night."

Garret looks down at me and his face just about breaks my heart. He truly is the baby of the family even at thirteen and Daya has told me over and over again how much he loves spending time with me. I'm just busy is all, and they've got to understand that.

"Promise?" Garret mutters and I nod. "Good, I want to see you get your ass kicked again."

I laugh. "Hey, that hardly ever happens. I can't wait until you get in there. We'll see who gets their ass kicked then."

Both of us burst into laughter, but Daya remains silent. I know she's mad at me but we've talked about this too many times to count. My mother insists on getting money the old fashioned way, but rummaging her way through trash all day long, but a week of that work hardly pays for a new toothbrush. All of them have depended on me since Harrion died, and that's just the way it is.

Harrion was my older brother and the two of us were about as close as a brother and sister can be. The day he got caught in District Seven was one of the darkest days of my life, but it also paved the way for the rest of my life. The words he told me the night before he was executed replay in my mind almost constantly. I will never let anything or anyone change me. I will always remain the person he knew, that way a part of him will never leave me.

The person I am is the person that takes care of her family. I will always be that person no matter what happens to me, for Harrion.

"Did you two already eat?" I ask, hoping to change the subject a little bit.

"Yeah," Daya shrugs. "Are we supposed to wait for you when you never wait for us?"

So much for changing the subject. I stand and walk over to her, but she turns away from me. I put a hand on her arm and turn her back so she is facing me. "Daya, you know I'm doing my best."

"I know," she says, dropping her voice so that Garret can't hear her. "Just stop making promises you can't keep. It's hard to get his mind on anything when he's waiting for you."

"I'm sorry," I say again and I am. I want to spend time with them so badly. I want to teach them how to defend themselves so that they're ready for life outside of these barracks. I want to give them all the luxuries that we had back in District Seven. I want everything for them, but survival comes first. It has to and they know that.

"Go get something to eat," she whispers. I nod gratefully, I am absolutely starving but I am still not happy about leaving them so soon. I pull off my hoodie and stuff it underneath the cot where all the rest of my baggy clothes are. I don't need them during the day, but at night they're my protection. A girl out at night is a sitting duck, but a boy is just another person to ignore.

I stick my arms into an old t-shirt and rip off the heavy wristband and put it with the rest of my things. I give them both a quick goodbye and pull open the door to the hallway.

It takes a lot of effort not to gasp at the sight I walk into. There are three black-uniformed men standing at my door, one of their hands lifted as if he were just about to knock. I quickly pull the door shut behind me trying to give no indication to my siblings that anything is happening out here. I know who these men are, in fact I saw them last year in this very hallway taking another girl away.

* * *

 **Adriel Harding, 13, Sector B**

* * *

I squeeze my way through the streets of District Zero. I know the way, of course I do, but it still takes a long time. I heard the train when the barrack doors opened this morning and if I don't hurry I'll miss it. I'm not so sure what 'it' is yet but once I find out I'm sure I wouldn't have wanted to miss it.

I slam into someone and toss a quick apology over my shoulder. I cut through a narrow side street that sits between two buildings and thankfully there is no one else passing through. The soles of my feet hit the pavement through the holes in my shoes, but I can have the infirmary give me bandages later if they need that kind of treatment Right now I have to get to the fence, and I'm almost there.

By the time I am nearing the fence I can't hear the train anymore. I groan thinking that it must have just been going past Sector B and has already gone through the station. I slow to a jog, still hoping that I will see it when I get close enough, but without the sound of the engine I have little hope that I'll be seeing any new arrivals today.

The day I discovered where the engine noises were coming from was one of the best days of my life. I have always been interested in how people get into District Zero, but no one likes to talk about things like that especially not with someone they don't know. I guess come on a little strong, well at least that's what people say, but I just want to _know._ My mom says I've always been her curious little mouse, but I'm a little old for that nickname now.

My hands grab at the fence and, to my surprise, I see the train sitting in the station. The man that drives it is standing outside so it mustn't be turned on, which I guess is why I couldn't hear the engine. I look around and find the large rock that has always sat around this place. I hop up and clasp onto the fence for balance.

From up here I can see much better, but there isn't anyone else around the train except the man who runs it. I sigh, disappointed, but this is what happens most of the time. Either it ends up being nothing or it's just a bunch of people unloading boxes that they never open out here. I wasn't expecting to see anything really cool after yesterday, but I always hope no matter what.

Yesterday was the day that the men in black arrived. People have called them 'recons' when they see them in the streets, and they say that they come from the Capitol to get kids for the Game. No one really knows more than that, or even really what 'the Game' is, but each time I see them I get more and more curious. Anytime they come around I get to hear the rumours, but that's only once a year. After they leave no one ever wants to talk about it, in fact they get really upset if I ask. Some said I was too young to worry about it since they usually took people around sixteen to eighteen. I'm not worried, I just want to know who they are.

When they marched off of that train yesterday night I was more excited than I've been in months. This is the one time of year that people talk about the recons and the Game. I only have a few days to talk about them without making people upset. After I'm done here I plan on making the most of today and telling people what I saw last night.

I see a flicker of movement near the door of the train and I stand up on my tiptoes to get a better view. Maybe I was wrong and they just haven't unloaded the new arrivals yet. Could you imagine having the recons and new arrivals all come in one week? That would be the most exciting week ever, even better than that time I talked to a young girl about the Game before her mom came and told her not to talk to strangers.

"Stop right there!"

I only sort of hear the voice, but I'm pretty used to people yelling. It's the only way to get heard around here so I think everyone does it even for things that don't need to be yelled. I wonder if it came from the train, if maybe one of the new arrivals tried to run away again. I study the door of the train but no one comes out.

I stop looking when I hear footsteps behind me. Actually I only stop when I realize where I am, which is a place that I'm not really supposed to be. I spin around and quickly lose my balance, falling from the top of the rock onto the dry grass below. I roll over and see a man standing over me, but not just any man. This man is wearing all black and I immediately recognize the clothes he is wearing.

He's a recon.

The breath is taken right out of my chest as I stare up at him. Somehow him being here is equal parts amazing and terrifying. I want to ask him something but the way he stares down at me makes my lips not want to move.

He reaches down and scans my wrist just like the Peacekeepers sometimes do when you do something you're not supposed to do. I wonder for a minute if my being by the fence is enough to get an infraction, but then why would a recon be scanning me and not a Peacekeeper? The man nods when he looks down at the thin rectangle in his hand and yanks my arm to bring me to my feet.

"Make no sudden movements and don't call for anyone," he says, pulling my arms so that they are both behind me. This is what they do to people when they're arrested. Am I being arrested?

"No questions," he says and I quickly realize I must have asked that out loud. He pushes me in front of him while still holding my hands behind me. I don't walk so much as stumble, trying to get my mind wrapped around what is happening. There was a recon looking for me and now he has me. What do they do once they take you? Where do they even take you?

Too bad no one ever answered those questions.

* * *

 **Nadia Preminger, 17, Sector C**

* * *

"You know I don't mean it, Nad."

I turn back to him, bruised cheek first, and see his face fall again when he sees it more closely. He's right, I do know that he never meant that slap to the face last night in front of the other crew boys. He didn't mean to hurt me but the thing is that he did and it's not the first time either. Just because of his rank he thinks that he can do this to me. To keep me in line, that's what one of the other boys told him, but that's not why he did it.

"You never mean it, Gray," I snap back and he flinches. Away from the other boys he changes back to the friend I knew and fell for, but I know my Gray will leave again as soon as we get back.

"You have to get it, Nad," Gray sighs. "No one will take me seriously if I let you get away with that shit."

"That shit?" I spit. "Telling you it's lights out when we both know the Peacekeepers could be by any second. I saved your ass last night and you do this?"

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

"Maybe until it means something."

"I'm not like you, sorry," he huffs. "I make mistakes. I can't remember things just by looking at them once. I know you shouldn't have to pay for my mistakes but it'll end badly for the both of us if those boys can't respect me."

I turn away from him and cross my arms against my chest. He always plays this card, the one where I'm supposed to pity him for doing so much to protect the two of us. I'm getting sick of it and he knows that. I don't want to be his stupid girl, not if it means not being able to speak a word of my own. Not if it means fighting with him all the time when that is the last thing I want to do.

"Come on," he tries, pulling me against him and I let him. I can't have this argument with him again, in fact I didn't even want to have it this time. It always happens like this, I let my words spill out of my mouth the second we're alone and then I regret it until it happens the next time. He'll never be able to listen because I can't do what he needs me to do. It's like we're just spinning around in a circle trying to balance everything at once as everything drops to the floor.

"We're going to be okay, Nad," he says, brushing my hair away from my face. I know that he's trying to be comforting, but I can't help but notice that these are the exact words he uses at the end of this conversation each time we have it. That's the beauty, or I guess more often the curse, or my memory- I don't forget anything, not one word that is spoken by or to me and not one thing that's happened to me. it makes his words sound a lot less sincere when I know I've heard them dozens of times.

I hear the woman well before I see her as she heads down the alleyway towards us. Gray stiffens beside me and I can't help but notice that the hair on the back of my neck is standing at clear attention. It's easy to understand why once I get a good look at her. It's as obvious as if she'd told us ourselves that she is one of the recons.

Gray grips my arm more harshly and I sink down into his chest even further, trying to keep my heart from beating out of my chest. There is no possible way she could be here for one of us, but there is no one else sitting in this alleyway. The most logical thing would be that she is just passing through, but I can feel her eyes on me even behind her dark glasses.

Sure enough she stops a few feet away from us and the two of us rise to our feet instinctively. There is no worse place to be than near the feet of a Peacekeeper and I guess that translates to recons as well. I can feel my back pushing up against the wall and I'm sure Gray's is as well. Neither of us say a word and honestly I'm not sure if I am even able to do so anymore.

"Nadia Preminger."

The recon says my name like a statement, not a question, but I nod anyways. My mind flashes through all of the passing rumours that I have heard about recons so quickly that I can't even understand the words flying through my head. My entire body is trembling and I hold onto Gray even more tightly to keep myself standing.

The woman looks to Gray. "You may go."

He doesn't wait for her to say it twice. He is running full speed down the alleyway towards the crew house before I even have a chance to catch my balance. The woman grabs me by the arm and places her thin rectangle, something I've heard be called a relay, on the inside of my wrist. The rectangle lights up and she smiles slightly.

"Come with me," she instructs. "Say nothing. There is no need to get others involved."

Her last words are said as her hand brushes the holster on her hip. I can only imagine what kind of gun must be stowed away in that thing, but I am pretty certain I don't want to find out for sure. I allow her to lead me down a trail of similar alleys and only hesitate when we make it to a door that leads to a dark stairway. It's not until she closes the door behind her that I remember where an older man said recons take the people they kidnap. _Hunger Games_ \- the two words are enough to send shivers down my spine even in the thick underground air.

* * *

 **A/N: This was actually a lot easier to write than I thought it would be. Generally the transition from exciting arena chapters to more tame reaping-like chapters is difficult, but this was actually a great change. I hope to keep this momentum going so that I don't take a year to finish this story.**

 **It would be great if anyone that reads could try to drop a review (even a couple of words to let me know you're reading). I'm not one of the authors that takes reviews into account when choosing deaths, but reviews do help me to remember to actually write chapters on time. Basically it would help keep the story moving if you slide me a reminder every once in a while.**

 **What do you all think of our first three tributes- Taryn, Adriel, and Nadia?**

 **Who are you most looking forward to reading about in the coming chapters?**

 **If you haven't guessed, I will be writing the characters in order of sector letter. There will be five chapters of abductions, each with three POVs, and then probably five Capitol chapters. The arena chapters will start from there, which I think will be very fun considering the diversity of tributes I have.**

 **That's all for today. Let me know if you ever have any questions about how I'm doing things. Other than that I hope to update at least once a week starting with this update.**


	5. Sectors D-F

" _It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not."_ _  
_ _―_ _J.R.R. Tolkien_ _,_ _The Fellowship of the Ring_

* * *

 **Abductions Sectors D-F**

* * *

 **Ellis Ockley, 18, Sector D**

* * *

"I wouldn't tell you guys anything that wasn't true," I laugh and the other three boys each crack a smile in turn. All hints of conflict from before have completely vanished and I know my duty has been done. I pat each of the boys on the back and begin to walk back to Jay's office.

One of the boys runs after me and pokes me between the shoulders to get my attention. I spin around without bothering to wipe the annoyance off my face and the boy takes a fast step back. "Sorry Ellis. Just wanted to know if you feel like heading up to the bar?"

"As much as I'd love to, Jay has me running around all night," I say with a shrug.

"Gotta do what you gotta do I suppose," he agrees.

"Always," I nod and cross those last few steps into Jay's office. I don't bother knocking, not that I ever do. I don't have to worry about walking in on anything I shouldn't be seeing. Jay's girl, Quinn, hasn't offered him any action since they started hanging out.

"What's up, El'?"

"Just got finished with those kids that had beef with Dante's boys," I say as I raise a hand in a slight wave. Jay, as always, is sitting on a pile of under stuffed cushions with a torn up magazine spread across his lap. I used to be pretty impressed with him as a kid thinking that he must be awful smart to have learned how to read, but he's since told me he only looks at the pictures.

"Trust it went alright?" He asks and I nod, plunking myself down onto a stray cushion that is so thin my ass almost hits the ground. Jay and I have been friends since I joined the crew all those years ago, when Roscoe still managed it, and nothing much has changed since then. He might be the big, tough guy around here now but I'll always be his right hand man.

"You know you've got a future here, Ellis," he says, closing the magazine and tossing it across the room towards an end table. "The kids love you."

"Dunno why," I shrug, but he is right. Our crew does love me, maybe even more than they love Jay but that wouldn't be too out of the ordinary. The crew leader is meant to be strict and keep things together so Jay can't be everybody's best friend, only mine. Jay likes to remind me that I still have room to move up in the ranks because I think he's afraid I'll end up leaving with a bunch of his members. He doesn't have to worry though, I'm in the best spot I could possibly be in. A hefty chunk of the admiration with none of the blame when things go to shit.

"Yeah," he laughs, swinging around to face me. "Who could love a face like yours?"

I half heartedly throw a stack of papers at him but only a few end up hitting him. Both of us are cracking up by this point so it doesn't even matter. These are the moments I love when it can be just Jay and I without all of the whining kids fighting over a bed, a sweet, or a girl.

The door swings open and one of the older boys runs in. Jay stands up from his seat and immediately his carefree, joking face is gone. I too stand up and cross the room to stand beside Jay. The boy, Garner, looks too stunned to speak as if we might cuss him out just for entering the room. Jay and I know better, something is definitely going down.

"R-recons," Garner stammers. "At the door, Harley saw them and said to get you."

Jay doesn't waste a second. He pushes past the boy and I follow right on his heels. If recons are here that can only mean one thing and Jay knows that. They're here for one of us.

We enter into chaos as crew boys and girls run around the room trying to hide themselves. We move straight past them without having to say a word. They're scared but we're not. We have seen this before many years ago and we know how it works. The first time they ask for the one they want. The second time they take them.

The trio of boys that were supposed to guard the door are huddled inside with everyone else. I allow Jay to go first because that's what he should do as leader. Even now every move he makes has to be the right one and that's my job to ensure. He should be in front of me with every step, looking like he is the one that's going to save us from the recons even though most of us know there is nothing he can do but give up the poor kid they are looking for.

"Who is it?" Jay says immediately as we exit the house and come face-to-face with a team of five recons. Everything about them is intimidating, but with the door still wide open I give Jay a slight nudge so that he remembers to stand up tall. The kids need to know he's here for them even though I know he is just as terrified as I am.

"We are here for Ellis Ockley." It is the woman at the front of the pack that speaks.

I swallow thickly at the sound of my name rolling off her tongue. It echoes in my head so many times that my own name begins to sound foreign like maybe it isn't my name at all. I don't take a step back, in fact I don't even blink. They have no way of knowing it's me. Jay says they track their targets so they know it's someone here, but they can't know it's me.

Jay turns to me. His eyes are wider than I've ever seen them and his lips are pressed into a tight smile. He is supposed to tell them that they can have their target as long as everyone else goes unharmed, that is the protocol for recons. Jay has to give me to them but I can see in his eyes that he doesn't want to.

"He's not here," Jay says, his voice giving away the lie. The woman peers around at the dozens of kids staring from inside the house. She won't be fooled that easily is what the look on her face tells me. Jay can't be this stupid or he'll lose everyone. He has to stick to the protocol.

I slam the door closed behind me and Jay jumps. I lean in close to him, ignoring the fear that bubbles up in my throat when the recons pull their weapons.

"Do it," I say between gritted teeth.

Jay nods but I can see his shoulders trembling. He puts a hand on my arm and gives me one last pleading look, telling me silently that he is sorry. I nod, he doesn't have to say he's sorry. This is what needs to be done. This is how things happen here.

Even before his words are out I present my wrist, the inside facing towards the woman. Jay's voice shakes when he speaks, but I try to ignore it so that I can keep my arm as steady as I can for those kids that might be watching through the half-boarded windows.

"This is Ellis. You can have him as long as no one gets hurt."

* * *

 **Anya Chevelle, 18, Sector E**

* * *

I half-expected my mother to still be asleep by the time I came upstairs, in fact I even tried to open the door quietly so that I wouldn't wake her and have to deal with the questions of where I was. However, there she is tearing through the mess that is our room trying to find a specific item that she probably doesn't even need.

"Morning," I mumble as I place my bag down by the door and kick off my shoes.

She turns to face me, looking almost stunned to see me standing in front of her, and places her hands on her hips. "I would have thought you'd wait for me before going out. Where were you off to so early anyways?"

"Lunch?" I say sharply and almost immediately regret my tone. My mother is a very particular woman, always has been, and she is definitely not going to take disrespect from anyone especially not me. i brace myself for the scolding before her lips even turn down into a scowl.

"There is no need to talk to me like that. I had just hoped we would go together today," she says calmly. My mother has a very distinct way of letting me know how angry she is without ever raising her voice. I have learned to brush it off because, well let's just say she will milk her bad mood for everything its worth if I let her.

"Sorry," I shrug. She opens her mouth like she is going to say something but I stop her before a word even leaves her lips. "I'm going out again. I'll be back by dinner."

"You're not even going to come with me to the cafeteria?" She asks as though that had been the plan all along.

I sigh. "I can walk you downstairs, but I already ate."

"Fine," she says over her shoulder as she turns back to the many things strewn across her cot. "Go ahead. No need to ruin your day for me."

I know better than to say anymore. My mother has this whole drama that she makes up in her head and there is no talking her out of it most of the time. If she wants to play that today I'm Panem's worst daughter for not going to lunch with her then so be it. It's not like she would even have wanted to go if I hadn't said I'd eaten without her. That's just the way my mother is and I know that better than anyone by this point.

I pull on a fresh pair of socks without another word. She mumbles a few things towards the wall but at this point I'm not even listening. I just want to get out of this cramped room and get Callum. Yesterday my mother found a cool piece of rock or something and decided it wasn't even worth a trip to the Plant. I know he'll love it, in fact he can probably tell me what it is.

Callum is one of the most interesting people I have met. I always found it hard to connect with people growing up. It's difficult to form those close friendships when you can't be sure what people are thinking. More often than not I found friends that wanted me as more of a convenience or a number to add to their pack. It's all about survival here, but that didn't make it easier to realize I would probably never have real friends.

Then I met Callum. Even being four years younger than I am, he is more of a friend than anyone else in this entire district. He came to Zero a few years ago, though he's never really said why, and from the day I met him the connection was instant. I showed him all about life in Zero and he told me about his home district. He knows all of these words that I've never even heard before, and he has a lot of facts stored in his little head. It's nice to have real conversations sometimes; helps keep your mind off of what's happening around you.

I mutter a quick goodbye to my mother and, with my hand holding tightly to the rock piece, venture back out into the hallway. It takes a few tries before I get the door closed, but eventually I do hear the lock click into place. Our floor is closest to the top of the barracks for Sector E and one of the most run down out of all of them. I'm not even completely sure whether the slimy grey colour that sticks to the walls is a design choice or just some combination of mould and grime.

My footsteps echo through the otherwise empty hallway as I head towards the stairs. I have to take ten flights of stairs before I'll reach the bottom floor and I've taken to counting them as I go. I get six floor down before I hear a door open- not completely unheard of but at this time of the day everyone has usually already left. I continue down another half flight before I see the two black-clad officers making their way up.

My breath catches in my throat, but I quickly swallow it down. Of course I know who they are. Of course I've heard the rumours about where the recons take the people they kidnap. They're _recons_ though and they never take more than one or two people each time they come. There is no way they're here for me, it's simply not possible to think they could be walking up these stairs towards my room.

Still, I lower my gaze as I get closer to them. I have never seen one up close, actually most people haven't. People say that they prefer to kidnap their targets when they're out of the public eye. Alone, I can't help but think, just like I am now but that's ridiculous because they're not here for me.

"Don't move." The throaty voice makes me stop mid step. I had already been shaking a little bit, though I'd never admit that to anyone, but now that I'm not moving it's probably very easy to see. Both of the recons are staring at me and one of them puts their hand out. I know the signal very well; they want my wrist to scan it. That's all, they just want to make sure I'm not who they're looking for.

They take my wrist and roughly pull me forward, taking a thin rectangle from their belt and passing it over my arm. The little thing lights up and I hold my breath. I've had this done more time than I can count but never by one of them. This is completely, terrifyingly different.

"Come with us," says the recon holding my wrist. They don't give me a chance to answer or even make a move, they simply pull me down the stairs in the opposite direction that they had been heading. As ridiculous and unlikely as it was, I was who they were looking for. Even more ridiculous is that I ran right into them and didn't have the common sense to run the other way.

* * *

 **Asa Derrain, 15, Sector F**

* * *

I duck my head as I enter through the fences that separate the mountain from Sector F. It's an open gate, but only has a narrow opening which can be a good spot for crews and thieves to hang around and wait for people. Luckily for me no one is here and I slip inside without any trouble.

Today, like most days that mother isn't feeling well, I am here alone. I don't like bringing Jasper here because he's so small. He'd be a target for the older boys for sure and I know the mountain scares him a lot. Maybe when he's older he'll come out with me and get used to it, or I'll get a few good finds and he'll never have to set foot in this place again. Either way I plan on keeping him away from this place for as long as I can.

The mountain is one of the quietest places in the district, that is until someone sees a valuable. Everyone is here for the same reason and that is the hope of finding something that will earn you some quick coin. It doesn't happen all that often, especially not lately, but when it does it's like everyone turns into animals. I've heard of people being killed in the stampedes just because they weren't quiet enough about their find.

"Girl, what's a pretty little thing like you doing all the way in here?"

I flinch at the sound of the voice. The girl being talked to is definitely not my age, probably a few years younger at least, and her eyes give away her discomfort. It's always like this when someone speaks at the mountain, never anything good. The girl's brown hair falls onto her mousy face as she ducks her head. It won't help and she probably knows that, but she still tries to make herself disappear.

"Smile why don't ya?" The voice laughs, jabbing an elbow towards his old buddies. "Ya'd look a whole lot prettier that way."

"Leave her alone!"

I clamp my hands over my mouth as soon as the words are out. My eyes widen, realizing what I have just done... again. The three men who'd been oogling at the girl turn to me with hard, greyed eyes and my entire body tenses. I know what comes next, what always comes next after I open my mouth.

Sure enough, the leader of the trio quickly closes the gap between us until he is staring down at me. His breath smells fouler than even the trash that surrounds us but I don't allow myself to turn away. It'll be much worse if I do that. My limbs tremble but I stand up to my full height to meet his eyes. He's got at least a few inches on me but his age is a handicap. If he decided to have a go at me one-on-one I think I could handle it, but that's never going to happen. There are three of them and if they wanted to they could beat me senseless without any chance of anyone else getting in their way.

"You got a problem, son?" He growls, his eyes narrowing until I can no longer see their grey colour.

I swallow thickly. "I don't want trouble. Just-"

"Well trouble wants you," he chuckles, looking over to cast a glance back at his two friends who stand at the ready. One signal from him and I know they'll be all over me. One will probably hold my hands and let the leader dig his fists or shoes into me. That's happened before and it was more horrible than anything. Nothing to do but tense up for the next shot.

"She's too young for this," I try again being extra careful of my tone. I can't sound like a fighter, partially because I don't want to be one and partially because I know that if I was one I'd be one of the worst ever. I don't think there has ever been a fight that I've actually won. Winning for me would be avoiding it altogether or just getting one black eye instead of two.

When I look behind him I can still see the girl standing nearby. I can't believe she wouldn't think to run away, must be that she's too stunned to. I can't think of anyone that would want to stick around to be on the losing side of a fight, or anyone stupid enough to want to be at least.

"Why don't ya get ya nose out of my business, boy," he spits, grabbing the collar of my shirt before I can even think to try and get away. "Ya got no power over me."

"I do, though, and I advise you to put this child down before I make you put him down."

All heads in the area turn at the sound of this voice. It's nothing like I have ever heard before. While most voices are rough and our grammar isn't too good, this woman's words are as smooth as a baby's skin and crisp as the Peacekeeper's notebooks.

When I turn around it's not hard to realize who the words came from. There is a woman dressed from head to toe in black along with two others dressed the same but with helmets down covering their faces. She has smooth, dark skin and her face looks more perfect than I would have thought possible. My immediate thought isn't wondering who she is but rather what she is. Nothing about her seems like it could have come from Zero.

"Asa Derrain?"

It takes me a moment to understand that she is talking to me or to react when she grabs my wrist and places her scanning device over it. She nods back to the other two and they come forward, grabbing one arm each and following behind as the woman begins to leave the mountain. I take one more glance backward, my lips parted into a steady gasp. I see the girl slipping away and the three men staring at me with something that I could only describe as pity.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi there! I am super late, but I have a good reason. I just started a new job and I have been getting up at 4:30AM every morning to do that, so I've been honestly way too exhausted to write a word. Finally I just bit the bullet and finished this chapter so I could publish something even if I'm not too proud of it.**

 **What do you think of Ellis, Anya, and Asa? Who are you looking most forward to hearing from in upcoming chapters? Thoughts in general about this chapter?**

 **Reviews are great if you could try to give me something. It doesn't have to be long but honestly the more reminders I can get to write the better especially with my hectic schedule right now. I can't promise when the next set of tributes will be out but I do hope it won't be too long. Until then, enjoy these three!**


	6. Sectors G-I

" _The wounds that never heal can only be mourned alone."_ _  
_ _―_ _James Frey_ _,_ _A Million Little Pieces_

* * *

 **Abductions Sectors G-I**

* * *

 **Delilah Nissen, 18, Sector G**

* * *

"I really can't go anywhere today, I'm not feeling well. Maybe tomorrow?"

Edison nods but he looks disappointed. I said the same thing yesterday except my excuse was that I was supposed to do some cleaning for my parents. Edison, though he is one of my only friends, didn't even realize that my parents would never speak enough words to me to tell me to do much of anything. Just shows he isn't much of a best friend at all.

"Okay," he says. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah, tomorrow" I reply, closing the door on my friend. I breathe a sigh of relief looking back into the empty room that I share with my parents. It's best I'm alone today, I think. I've grown to like Edison a little too much these past few weeks.

I flop down on the only cot we have, not bothering to think of the million disgusting reasons I should not want to be anywhere near my parents' bed. I made my choice to spend the day in here, at least until my parents get home. I'm not even sure when they'll be back from whatever adventure they set off on last night. With any luck it won't be until tomorrow or the next day.

Maybe I should have invited Edison inside. My parents would have had a fit for sure, but it wouldn't have been much of a big deal as long as he wasn't here when they got back. He's been in here before but for some reason it feels too private right now. If I'm going to see Edison I need to see him where I have some distractions from him. I'm getting a little bit too attached to him and I'm scared of what that might mean for me later.

He probably has better things to do anyways. Maybe he didn't even want to stay and he was just asking me to hang out as a courtesy. That's what I would do if I had someone hanging off of me the way I sometimes do to him. He probably gets sick of me all the time and is just too kind to say anything. It's possible he has been dropping hints for me to leave him alone this entire time and I'm just too thick to even notice.

The door eases open and sure enough it's my parents. They take one look at me on their bed and it's enough to send me sliding back down to the floor, onto the blanket that makes up my bed. Both of their eyes are rimmed in red and they look exhausted. Neither of them even say a word to me before they lay down, face away from one another, and fall right to sleep.

I know better than to make any sort of noise right now so I raise myself up slowly and head towards the door. This is the way it always it- my parents want little to do with me and nowadays I want even less to do with them. Growing up I was never close to either of them and nothing has changed. It's better for both sides of this family if I just stay out of their way and let them pretend I'm not even here.

My sweater falls from the ground and the broken zipper clangs against the hard floor. "Delilah, will you shut it already? Can't you see that we're exhausted?"

I don't even respond. I open the door, abandoning my sweater on the ground, and head down the hallway. I have no desire to be anywhere near them and I'm sure that they'd be much happier if I just left forever. Obviously I'm not going to be able to give them that wish because, frankly, I have nowhere else to go but this stupid room. Believe me, if there were somewhere else to be I would already be there.

I barely make it into the stairwell when I see them. There are three of them, all dressed in white and as terrifying as they always have been. Peacekeepers, but what are they doing inside during daylight hours? Usually they're downstairs in the cafeteria or patrolling the streets at this time unless they've been told there is something happening up here. I can't hear anything from here and it takes a lot to get the Peacekeepers' attention even if something is going on, I would know.

Three heads turn towards me and I see recognition in the tallest one's eyes immediately. That's not uncommon, not after last year, but it still makes me nervous. It's not a long shot to think that they might take me into the Warden's office just for being here and being me.

The tallest one nudges the only woman in the group. She looks up at the ceiling, staring as if there is something awful interesting up there for her to see. I look behind me but there is nothing there. A second later she looks back down at me.

"Delilah Nissen." It's not a question, but I nod anyways. My heart races in my chest and the only thing I want to do is run. My eyes wander down to their white belts, each cluttered with countless weapons that could do a hell of a lot of damage to me. It's never a good idea to run from a Peacekeeper, not unless you'd rather be dead than caught.

At this point I'm still deciding what I'd rather be.

"Please come with me," she nods.

I rip my arm away as soon as she tries to grab it, but the other two Peacekeepers are much faster. "What is this about? I didn't do anything! I didn't, I swear! Let me go!"

The woman leans in so close that I think I could bite her nose off if I chose to. "Choosing silence will make this easier on you, but we have ways of forcing it. You are coming with me either way."

* * *

 **Flynn Cutrone, 16, Sector H**

* * *

"She's definitely into you."

I jab an elbow into Ryder's side but his eyes don't move from the back of the blonde girl's head. It takes me actually grabbing his head and turning it towards me before he snaps out of it. I try to keep my face stern but that almost never works. I break into a smile as soon as I meet his eyes.

"You so like her," Ryder teases. "I'm gonna tell her."

"As if you would talk to a girl."

"Ouch, but point taken. I guess we'll both just stand here and admire from afar. Though to be fair these girls wouldn't be hanging around here if they didn;t want to be brought in. So technically we have the pick of the lot."

"Jose and Van have the pick of the lot," I say a-matter-of-factly. "I don't think we'll have the pick of the lot until most of the lot has already been picked."

"Oh come on," he says, leaning onto the back wall in a failed effort to look as cool as his words sound. "We've got game. If we just get off our asses and talk to someone we might get lucky."

"You first," I say with the raise of an eyebrow and I see his face fall slightly.

"Fine." He crosses his arms in front of him with no intent to move any further from this wall in the near future. Ryder likes to talk big but honestly he's the biggest loser I've ever met. That's the reason we get along so well, I think. We're just a pair of goofy losers that either can't or won't take much seriously. Especially not minor things like girls. Both of us know that even if we could talk to them, which we can't, we'll be getting only who's leftover after the others have claimed theirs. We're too new, only actually having moved into the crew house a couple of months ago, even though we've been hanging with some of these boys since the beginning.

"Flynn, she's here for you again." One of the boys motions towards the window and I can see the back of my sister's curly head even from here. I sigh and Ryder twirls his finger around his ear, forcing the smile right back to my lips. She's been here every few days since I moved out of the family room and it's always the same thing. I love my sister but she really needs to back off a bit. It's starting to ruin my reputation here.

I swing the doors open and her arms fling around my neck almost before I feel the fresh air hit my cheeks. I lay my hands over her back, at this point just allowing her to get the dramatics over with. She has always been this way, overdoing everything and anything since we were little kids. Even being the younger one in the family I was never like that. I took a background role so that she could take center stage. It's one of the reasons I've never told my family for why I left. The other being that I really didn't have much of a choice at all.

"We miss you, Flynn," she says, pulling away so that I can see the tears welling up in her eyes. "You can still come home. It's not too late to leave this place."

"Nothing has changed since two days ago," I say, shaking my head. "I promise I'll visit but I'm staying here. I'm happy with my friends."

"You haven't visited yet and it's been seven weeks. They're worried."

"I'm sixteen," I laugh. "They don't have to worry anymore. I'll be home soon, maybe in the next few days."

"Promise?" She asks, her expression telling me that she doesn't believe me. I don't blame her, I really haven't been good about keeping my promise to head up to the barracks every once in a while. It's been busy here with my boys. She couldn't possibly understand, and probably doesn't care to try, but I have my own life to think about and this is the best place for me. There has always been safety in numbers and that's exactly what I have here.

"I'm doing fine, Livia," I say finally. "Just go home."

She looks hurt but I don't want this conversation to last much longer. It's getting tiring to be around her and that's not how I want to think of my family. The same words over and over in varying orders is just stupid to continue. She's family and I still love her but right now the best things she can do for me is just leave me alone. The other boys don't have someone checking on them all the time. I just want to fit in and she's making me stand out for all the wrong reasons.

"If that's what you want, I'll go," she nods, turning towards the way she must have come to get here. "If you ever change your mind you know where we'll be waiting."

I don't say anything in return. Finally she gets the idea that I'm done with this meeting and she does head back home. I hate doing this to her, but I don't have a choice. I need to be here right now, for her good as well as mine. From inside I can pull strings to make sure she isn't touched, but out there with her I can only take so many punches before they get to her.

I watch as she disappears onto the main road and I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm sure that the others have been watching from inside and there'll be a whole slew of jabs at me when I get back in. I lean back against the crooked house, wondering how many more visits I'm going to have to get through before she finally gives up on me. Knowing Livia it'll be quite a few, it's her way of caring to be overbearing. It's all she knows how to do.

I feel a hand clasp my shoulder and I turn quickly, thinking I'll see Ryder's smug face behind me. I yell out when I see a tall man, nearly half a foot taller than me, and dressed head to toe in black. I hear a bunch of noise coming from inside so I know that some of the others must be seeing him too.

I pull my arm away from him but his grip is too strong for me to get away. He smiles when he realizes that he has me. I don't even have the time to try to struggle away again before electricity shoots through my body. Suddenly I am looking at things from below, watching the boys scramble out of my house from farther and farther away.

* * *

 **Penelope Hayes, 16, Sector I**

* * *

Silvia points to the word on the page, a scrawled out version of the word 'baby'. I pretend to study the word, knowing how much time I should put between my answers so that it is believable. After enough time has gone by I point to the littlest one in the room, a girl by the name of Rosie who might be two or three years old.

Silvia laughs, a raspy but beautiful sound. "Not if you ask Rosie."

I smile and cradle my arms together, showing her that i understand what the word meant. "You got it, let's try another one."

I smile and wait as she patiently carves each letter onto the paper with a half-inch long pencil. I do feel bad that she takes so much time out of her day to teach me, but it's been too long to change the story I gave when I met her. Back then, since I couldn't talk, I wanted no way of communicating with anyone. It seems ridiculous now but then it made perfect sense. I was angry, still am but less so. Now I think I'm more tired than anything.

"How about this one," Silvia smiles. "I think I showed you it last week."

I direct my eyes to the page but my mind wanders. Oftentimes I find myself searching around the room as if I were seeing it for the first time, and today is one of those times that I am just barely fighting off the urge. It's been only a few months since I officially moved in with Silvia and almost two years since I first moved to District Zero. To me this is still a new home even if it looks exactly like the room I left.

I guess it takes the district a long time to kick you out of a family room, because I was there over a year and a half after my mother died. Truth be told she never really lived in that room with me. She only died in that room. A few days after we arrived she died from what I think was some kind of bleeding in her head. I'm not even sure what really happened to her the night we were taken. I wish I knew, but she was too far gone to write anything down for me.

Neither of us could speak. She could never speak, not since she turned nine anyway, but it was only four years ago that I had my tongue cut out as well. My mother had hid me away as well as she could from ending up like her, but things never end up the way we mean them to. Her and my father chose to have me and they ended up with an Avox for a daughter. As much as I love them that's not something I am willing to forgive.

"Try each letter," Silvia urges. "One at a time, don't rush."

""Book!" Henry yells out and I jump. I hadn't know that he was sitting that far over my shoulder. Silvia laughs but wags one finger at him, pretending to scold the five year old.

"I know you know the word, Henry," she says, shaking her head. "I'm trying to show Penelope."

"Oh," he says and backs off, sitting back down beside Lennon. There are six of us and Silvia living in this one family room, which means things are tight to say the least. Silvia and her granddaughter, Harper, officially live here and the rest of us just ended up here. Silvia says that we found her, but I know it's exactly the opposite. None of us would have had much of a chance without Silvia. I was already on the downfall and I'd only been here a little over a year when I first met her. Who knows where I would have been.

I point at my lips and bit down on my finger. Silvia, the kids, and I have come up with some little symbols so that I can 'talk' to them in my own way. This one basically just means food, but in this case I'm telling her that I'm going to go down to eat. The rest of them had just come back when I woke up so I'm probably going to have to go alone. I don't exactly mind, since being alone is one of my preferred past times. The six people I live with are probably the only six people in this district that I can stand, but that doesn't mean I want to be around them for every second of every day.

"Oh yes of course," Silvia says when she notices my signal. "Could you try and sneak me up a glass of water?"

I nod and head for the door. Henry yells goodbye after me and I turn to give him a little wave. His little brow furrows but he waves back. I know that him and Rosie don't quite understand why I can't talk and to be honest it gets to me sometimes. None of them know the reason but they have to accept that I'll probably never tell them. No matter how much I think I'd like to some days.

No sooner have I seen the cafeteria doors in front of me do i feel a strong hand grip my shoulder. I turn around and I'm, ironically, speechless. I've never seen one in person, but even in my short couple of years in Zero I have heard stories. They say that the black-clad Peacekeepers take teenagers away and kill them in front of the other districts and the Capitol. They say that it's their best form of entertainment to see the recons' trophies die. Now I am looking straight into the eyes of one and all I can think is that I wish I would have died that night beside my mother.

* * *

 **A/N: A week isn't that bad for an update. Like I said before, I am really busy lately but I will still be trying to update semi-regularly. This chapter was difficult for some reason, even though I adore all three of these tributes. Hopefully that will stop soon.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated. I realize that people are busy but even a few words would really make my day. I like getting feedback on which tributes you like early on because I am beginning the planning of character arcs now. These things will help me to make a more interesting story with more growth. It will also help to make sure I'm not killing off** _ **all**_ **of the favourites too early on.**

 **That is all for now, please let me know what you think of Delilah, Flynn, and Penelope! Next update will come as soon as I can find the time to crank it out.**


	7. Sectors J-L

" _...the heart has no tears to give,-it drops only blood, bleeding itself away in silence."_ _  
_ _―_ _Harriet Beecher Stowe_ _,_ _Uncle Tom's Cabin_

* * *

 **Abductions Sectors J-L**

* * *

 **Enoch Jabari, 14, Sector J**

"Look at you, you're puny. You can't be serious."

"Oh but I am," I assure them and the three boys give each other sideways looks. I'm used to the strange glances from the crew boys and I'm even more used to what usually comes afterwards, but we'll see if it goes that way. If they're smart, today will be different. Maybe today they'll accept that I've been right this whole time.

"I'm not talking to anyone on behalf of some runt like you," the oldest boy, Kyler, sneers. I half-expected that answer but it still hits me like a punch in the face, not in the way that the fist would hurt but in the way that it makes me want to hit back.

"I understand if you're afraid I'll replace you," I say sharply. "I've heard Nolan is getting fed up with you anyways. I'm sure you'll be up and out by the end of the month."

This time the boy reacts much faster. He takes my collar in his rough hands and pulls me so close to his face that I can smell his rotten breath. I can't help but wrinkle my nose and he doesn't like that one bit. "Where'd you hear that, runt?"

I shrug, a difficult thing to do when someone is holding you this tightly. "Through the grapevine. I guess you're just the last to know."

The smallest of the three boys, though still a good few inches taller than me, steps forward and puts an arm between Kyler and I. "He's not worth it, Ky. Nolan would never get rid of you, he's just saying shit."

"Butt out," Kyler spits and crashes through the other boy's arm as he plows me into a nearby wall. My head hits the brick and bounces off so quickly I'm sure that there'll be a bruise tomorrow morning. I manage to keep the grimace off of my face, but only just barely. Instead I spread a defiant smile across my lips. Anything to make Kyler tick.

"You got a big mouth for someone so little," he says through a clenched jaw. "Someone ought to close it for you since you don't seem to know how."

"I imagine you'll give me a good lesson," I say with much more spite than I'd meant to put in my voice. "Maybe tomorrow you can teach me how to not brush my teeth for a month straight."

I hardly even feel him hit me, that's how fast it happens. I just know that one minute I am standing face to face with Kyler and the next I am falling backwards. I'm not sure if I ever do reach the floor, but if I do I don't remember it. I just know that when I come to I am laying on a bumpy cot in the corner of the infirmary.

I look around and see that I am not the only one to be fortunate enough to be stuck in this place. There are five other beds, all of them with a body laying in it. Hopefully five out of five are living bodies but that has yet to be determined. Like usual I don't see any of the doctors, hell I'm not completely convinced we even have those here, just a nurse standing outside the glass door talking to a couple of guys.

I catch the nurse's eye and she motions the two men to follow her inside. That definitely can't be good judging by how official the guys look. Full black uniforms and a heavy set of tools hanging from their belts, not to mention the industrial sized gun strapped onto their backs. They are definitely important and that is definitely not a good sign for me. No one important ever has anything good to say to me.

"Enoch Jabari?" The first man to reach me asks, though his voice makes it sound like more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, sir," I nod unsurely. I'm not real big on being polite, especially not to people I don't know, but I don't see much of an escape route in this place. Well at least if they decide to shoot me I'm in the best place for someone to try and save me, right?

"Nurse Greble has informed us that you will likely suffer only a minor concussion." The words roll off of his tongue far too quickly for me to even try and make sense of what he's saying, but I nod along with him anyways. "You'll be fine to come with us now."

"Excuse me?" I ask and immediately regret my tone. "No offence but I don't know who you are. There is no way I'm going anywhere with you."

"I thought you'd be grateful, Enoch," he says calmly, as if he must have expected me to be wary of him. "Those boys were not done with you, well not until my partner and I intervened."

"Thanks," I grumble. "But that doesn't mean shit. I'm still not going anywhere but up to my room for a good ole nap."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," he continues, stepping closer to the head of the bed. "You see, you've been selected by my superior. I've been ordered to bring you to the Capitol immediately."

"Selected?"

"Precisely."

"Look, it might be the headache but you aren't making a whole lot of sense. What would some Capitolite want with me and why would I even want to think about giving it to him?"

"I'd hoped you'd be grateful for what we are offering you," he sighs. "You've piqued the interest of someone very important, Enoch, and it is my intent to deliver you to him as requested."

"And that means...?"

"It was not a question whether you will be coming with us. Now you can choose to come quietly or I can ensure that you do."

"Ha," I laugh, more to mask my nervousness than anything else. "So I do get a choice."

* * *

 **Alifia Willings, 18, Sector K**

* * *

It's late in the afternoon, far too late to still be laying in bed, but that doesn't mean I don't groan when the light hits my eyes. I pry open my eyelids and see Sebrina standing by the window with her hands on her hips, just as pleasant as she always is. I can see that the sun is shining right into the window, which means that it's even later than I thought. Wonder why she didn't come in to wake me before now.

"Who turned on the lights?" I say, trying to quickly blink the fog out of my eyes.

"Funny," Sebrina sighs. "Haley had to tell me you were still in here. We talked about this, you get up with everyone else or I have to punish you."

"And of course you don't want to punish me," I shrug.

"But I will," she snaps. "It's a privilege to sleep in here at all. I should make you sleep with the rest of the crew, especially if you act like you own this place."

"I've stayed in here forever," I remind her. Maybe not forever, but since Sebrina and I met at least. I was twelve and she was sixteen, but always seemed much older. It was all the way back when her sister, Kali, was still around and in charge of this whole place. They said I could sleep in here because it was safer after I spent a night in the regular sleeping area. The other kids said I talked in my sleep about how 'she was coming'. This has been my home ever since and I know that Sebrina would never dream of taking that away.

"It's not your though, Ali. You're not some scared little kid that needs this place anymore. Hell there are plenty of others that need this mat more than you and I should just give it to them."

I shrug. "Why don't you then?"

"You are impossible," she grumbles, heading for the door.. "Just get up and help out for once this week. We're not here to take care of you."

"I never said you were!" I call after her, but I don't know whether she hears me or not. I don't understand where any of that came from, but it's Sebrina and she'll get over it. She always does. It's completely not true what she said about me not helping out. I do everything she asks me to do, it's not my problem that she hardly asks anymore.

Our crew has been mostly at peace for the last few months. We used to have a lot of problems with chicks from other crews, one of the reasons why Kali was okay with taking me on all those years ago. Even back then I was tough, at least on the outside, and I've since become one of the best fighters in our entire crew. I'm the one that keeps the other girls from coming after us. They need me, no matter what Sebrina says.

I groan as I sit up on my mat. I've been awake for a while now, but getting up still feels impossible. I look over and see half of a sandwich set out on the table by the door along with a tall glass of water. I smile, Sebrina is never really mad at me no matter what she says to the contrary.

I gobble down the meager lunch and step through the empty sleeping area and into the main room. I can see Sebrina by the entrance, talking to a couple of the younger kids who look spooked to say the least. For half a moment I consider walking over to see what is going on but think better of it. Sebrina will call me over if she needs me, that I can be sure of.

"Up so early?" Willard greets me with a smile.

"I guess so," I shrug. "Sebrina called me up or I would have slept longer."

"And here I thought you graced us with your presence because you were missing my beautiful face," he laughs. "I would offer you a pile of sheets to fold, but I already know how well that would go."

"Actually I'm up to help," I say, grabbing the top half of the pile of yellowed fabric.

"You're kidding?" He says, giving me the most dramatic gasp he can muster. "Sebrina's orders, right?"

"Would you believe I'm just trying to help out?"

"Nope," he says with a quick shake of the head. "Wouldn't believe it for one second."

"Me neither," I grin.

I haven't even finished pulling one of the sheets from the pile before I hear Sebrina call my name. I toss the pile back towards Willard and head over to the door without a second thought. I was starting to think I would actually be doing chores today, thank Panem that isn't going to happen.

"Go on, kids," Sebrina says to the two girls standing in front of her. "Don't say a word about what you saw. I'll handle it right now."

"Okay," they say in unison before scampering away. I'm half-interested in what they saw, but i figure that Sebrina will fill me in before I even have to ask. Of course, I'm right.

"The recons are here," she says quickly.

My jaw drops. Recons, one word that is pretty much guaranteed to strike fear into even the mightiest of hearts. There are at least three different rumours that I have heard for their strange appearances each year. Some say that they take kids back to the Capitol with them. Some say they kill them right here in the Warden's office. Others are sure they do something a lot less comforting to think about.

"You're not joking?" I say after a few seconds. I had been sure she must have been. In all my years in District Zero I have never once seen one of the black-uniformed recons, though I know many people that have. They've never been here at the crew house, that's for sure.

Sebrina looks up at me and I can see her eyes are rimmed with red, as if she had been around a little too much smoke. "They're asking for you, Ali."

"M-me?" I ask. "But why... how?"

"I don't know," she says, shutting her eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again. "They're not going to leave."

The sudden realization hits me like a fist to the face. "You want me to go out there."

She nods and that one moment is filled with more betrayal than I have felt in my entire life, which is saying a hell of a lot. "They have belts filled with weapons. I don't doubt they'll use them if we refuse to let them see you. It's dangerous for us."

"It's dangerous for _me,_ " I say indignantly. "You're going to give me to them because you're scared? That's ridiculous, we can fight them off. We've dealt with worse and won, this won't be any different."

"We're not going to win because we're not going to fight them." Her hand hovers over the handle for just a second before she slips the door open again, nodding to the four officers that stand waiting behind it.

* * *

 **Olin Greer, 13, Sector L**

* * *

"What about this?" I ask, holding up a flimsy looking piece of plastic about the size of my head. "I could use it for the bottom of the shoes I'm making you."

Luca makes a face. "It'd fit right in with all that shit under your bed. It smells like someone just took a piss on it."

I take a whiff of the piece and immediately pull it away from my face. "I could wash it off."

"I ain't wearing shoes that smell like piss no matter who makes them for me," Luca laughs, yanking the plastic piece from my hand and tossing back into the piles of trash. "I don't think plastic is what shoes are made of anyway."

"Yours won't let your feet get wet if they're made out of plastic," I explain. I've been thinking about how to keep water out of shoes ever since the day that Luca came home complaining that his socks were soaking wet. It would be cool if I could make it work and plastic would be my best bet right now, at least until I find something better smelling.

"Still," Luca says, wrinkling his nose in the direction of the trash. "If it worked wouldn't have someone done it by now?"

I shrug. "Maybe I'm the first to think about it."

"You couldn't be the first," he laughs. "People have been thinking forever. All the ideas must be gone by now."

I shake my head. Neither of my brothers think the way I do, and that's just how they are. I like to think and imagine how to make new things or make old things better. They would rather just live with what we have, after all it works well enough. All of the ideas can't be gone, though. There will always be new ideas and maybe plastic shoes are one of the great ones.

"You won't be saying that once I finish the shoes," I say smugly. "Maybe I'll make them for me and not you if you think they're not gonna work."

"Hey, hey, hey," Luca says, holding his hands out defensively. "Don't be so hasty there. If they work I want in. Hell, I'll even test them for you if you want."

"I thought they weren't gonna work?" I ask with a smile.

He rolls his eyes, slipping down the mountain towards Avery. "Probably not but if they do I want them."

"Why don't you ever make me anything, Olin?" Avery asks, plucking the piece of plastic off of the ground and tossing it over to Luca.

I blush. Avery is the oldest of the three of us, and he is the one I see the least of. Only him and my dad have jobs out of teh four of us, and they're gone most days and all day. Luca and I spend more time together so I know what he needs. I never thought that Avery would even want anything to do with my creations. "I don't think you'd like anything that I make."

Luca scales back up the trash with Avery right behind him. "Dad likes that chain thing you made for him, the one with the cutter on the end of it. It could be useful in the plant. The workers always loose all of our cutters."

"I'll make you one tonight!" I shout much louder than I had meant to which turns a few heads. I dive down into the trash piles with newfound energy, searching for the things I'll need to make the cutter. I think I already have another chain somewhere in our room but it was hard to find something thin yet sturdy enough to use for the actual blade part. There are plenty of sharp things here today; I know I'll find what I need.

"Hey, slow down there," Avery laughs. "I don't need it this second. Besides we need to get home for dad, he'll probably want dinner soon."

I give him a pleading look. I finally found a reason for us to be here at all and he wants to leave? That's not fair at all. "He ate late today."

"Come on, Ol'," he says with a wink and I know I'm not going to win this discussion, not that I ever thought I was going to. I've always known my dad to be a bit ill, Luca and Avery say he's been like this since mom died, but these past few months he's been much worse. He was in the infirmary a night last week, but they said he isn't contagious so there is no reason he couldn't stay in our room. He'll get better soon, that's what Luca says. He always gets better, at least a little.

"Okay," I whine, but I'm already following him and Luca towards the gates that lead to Sector L. It's a long walk up the thin line cut out of the other districts to give us access to the mountain at all, but the whole way is lined with bushes that make it look like you're headed somewhere cool and exciting. Somewhere that isn't Sector L.

As usual, there is a guard posted at the gate who motions for us to show him our wrists. He scans Luca and Avery and waves them inside quickly, but as his scanner gets to me it makes a strange sort of beeping noise that I have never heard before.

Luca reacts immediately. "What was that?"

"Nothing, kid," the guard says, but his face changes when he looks down to the device. He stares at it for a few seconds and then looks back up to me. I recognize the look on his face before he has a chance to change it. It's not a good sign to see any sort of expression on a Peacekeeper's face, especially not guilt.

He turns back to Luca and Avery. "You two may go. I have to call over before I can let him in."

"We're not going anywhere without him," Avery says as if even the suggestion offends him. I look back to Luca, who is staring down at the guard's scanner. I try and see what he might be seeing, but the letters make no sense to me. I never learned to read, even with an extra year of teaching than both of my brothers.

"Suit yourselves," he says with a shrug before turning back to me with a much kinder face. "I have to close the gate, but they're welcome to stay until they get here. I'm not supposed to say anything, but you should say goodbye to your brothers."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello all, this chapter is pretty long overdue but here it is. I ran into a bit of writer's block mixed with a very busy schedule that allowed me to simply blow it off for such a long time. It was only after accidentally listening to the song 'The Arena' by The Tributes that I actually broke out of the block and started writing. I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter considering. Hopefully you all like it as well.**

 **I will be leaving for a long(ish) vacation in about a week, meaning that if I do not post an update before next Tuesday it will be a long wait for the next chapter. In fact, there is a very good chance I will not be updating again until about mid-September because of the chaos that usually goes with heading back to school.**

 **Leave me a review if you have the time. Even a few words helps remind me that I should be working on the next chapter!**

 **Until next time!**


	8. Sectors M-O

" _Because once you're afraid of one thing, you can get scared of a lot of stuff."  
― __Ava Dellaira_ _,_ _Love Letters to the Dead_

* * *

 **Abductions Sector M-O**

* * *

 **Riley Verbeck, 12, Sector M**

* * *

"What does that mean?"

The older boy looks down at me from across the table and throws a smile to the girl beside him. "It's only a joke, Riley, don't worry about it."

They go back to their conversation and I sink down into my seat just a little bit lower. Breakfast has always been the worst part of the day, but today's been especially bad. Nila's back at the crew house because she had a headache this morning so she sent me with everyone else and asked that I grab her a bagged breakfast from the cafeteria on my way out. Of course I couldn't say no, even if I'd rather be back with my friend or pretty much anywhere but here right now, so here I am.

It makes me sound ungrateful to say that I don't like being around the crew without Nila, but I'm anything but that. I know that I'm lucky to have somewhere to go and people to protect me in District Zero. I know that without them around to protect me, very bad things could happen to me. I'm grateful that Nila and her older sister brought me into Hun's crew. I really am, but it's not the lifestyle I would choose for myself if I had any other options.

I met Nila when we were both six years old after her and her sister, Casey, were moved into the empty beds in my barracks room. I've lived in Zero my entire life, but Nila and Casey are from District Eight and they had come here with their father just a few months before I met them. Normally, they'd have stayed with him in a family room on the lower floors except that Nila's dad killed himself in a back alley. That's why they were moved into my room. The three of us have been close ever since.

When Casey met her boyfriend, she stopped staying in our room all the time. Neither Nila or I knew why until she told us about him, that he was a crew member and that she was going to be allowed to join. That was when Nila and I were nine. We ended up joining a few months later and we've all been there ever since. I think I do still have that same room up in the barracks, but I haven't been back ever since. Like Nila's said, there is no need to when we've got the crew.

It's different now that we're at the crew house. It doesn't feel as safe as the barracks even though I know that I should feel safer. I don't though, I feel scared. The others are nice enough to me, but I see what happens sometimes. There're fights and people get really hurt for saying the wrong things. Casey tells me that I tend to say a lot of the wrong things sometimes. I'm trying to say less, but it hasn't really worked.

"Hey, Riley," Nolan says, nudging me hard in the side. Nolan is one of the 'sort-of friends' I've made in the crew. He's a couple of years older than me and a lot rough around the edges, but he's always been pretty nice to me. "We're heading back now. Did you grab a bag for Nila?"

I shake my head. "I'll go do that, wait for me?"

He nods eagerly and I take one last bite of my oatmeal before heading off to the front of the cafeteria. Technically, I'm not supposed to be allowed to grab food for other people. In fact, doing this could get me in a bit of trouble. Luckily there is no one watching the bags this morning or most mornings. There aren't a lot of people that want a first helping of oatmeal, let alone a second. They should be thankful I'm helping them get rid of it.

I head back over to Nolan and the others with the slimy bag in hand. When I reach them, Nolan snakes a hand around my waist and pulls me closer to him. I tense unsure of what to do and he gives me a strange look. I drop my gaze down to the bag in my hand and hardly pay attention to the boys making plans for the rest of the day. It's only when we start to leave that Nolan removes his hand and I allow my gaze to level again. I can't help but notice that a few of the other boys also have hands on the younger girls. It's something I've had happen before, but never with Nolan. Always with the older boys.

I hang back a little bit from the crowd, trying to keep my face from showing the thoughts running through my mind. I wish I could feel safe with the crew, like Nila and Casey do, but I just don't. The things that I see happen and the stuff that others say makes me scared to stay. It's too bad, really, because I don't have a choice. Once you're in the crew you're in. There's no way out that doesn't involve a good bit of bruising.

I realize that I've lost sight of the crew completely by the time I return back from my thoughts. I look around and I can't even say that I know exactly where I am except that I must be by the gate to the Plant. I consider going inside to take a walk around before heading back to the house, but a hand on my shoulder spins me around before I can make a decision.

The black-uniformed man says nothing instead pulling my arm up from my side and twisting it so that my forearm is exposed. At this point I am too terrified to so much as try and resist what he's doing. He waves a small device over my arm and looks satisfied by the results. My breath is caught in my throat as I just stare up at him.

He says my name like a statement but I nod in answer anyways. He releases my arm but keeps a tight grip on my shoulders, half-dragging me back the way I'd come. I think anyone else would have cried at this point, maybe tried to run away, something. Not me. I'm too terrified to do anything except move with this man. As much as I don't feel safe with the crew, I've never felt as scared in my life as I do right now.

* * *

 **Brevin Domingos, 18, Sector N**

* * *

I haven't even set both feet in the cafeteria before I start hearing them. Seemingly from every table, a voice or a wave telling me to come over and sit with whoever happens to be there. I pass by a few tables and smile brightly at the waving people, trying unsuccessfully to match names to faces. There are so many people in the barracks and I know every one of them, well at least they think I know them. I guess that's the important part anyway.

"Hey Brev!" I hear someone call, and for the first time I recognize the voice. I look around and sure enough I see him, my cousin Ren, sitting at a table half-filled with people who look just like him. Of course my family would be here, I sigh inwardly. They eat up the attention that the Domingos name gives and this is prime time to get it.

I step towards their table and paint a smile across my lips. "Ren. How's it going, man?"

"Not too bad, not too bad," he grins. "The food's shittier than usual today but whose even complaining anymore, am I right?"

"Not you I guess," I shrug.

"Why don't you sit with us," Ren says, throwing a hand around his younger brother, Hunt's, shoulders. The two boys are like perfect copies of each other, right down to their identical heights, even though Ren is a couple years older. That's the beauty of the Domingos genes, I suppose.

"Nah, man," I say, shaking my head. "I have places to be today. I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow, promise."

"I'm holding you to that," he says, slapping my outstretched palm. "Go tell whatever pretty lady you're running off with that we all say hello."

I turn around with a laugh. My family gets on my nerves all day every day, but in the end I know they're just being themselves. The Domingos are a loud bunch but that's who we are, or at least who they are. I've never really identified with my family name in the way that most of them seem to. Being a Domingos is something that all of us share, but sometimes I think the name might have skipped putting its impression on my personality.

Sure, I look and act just like them but at the same time it's like we're worlds apart.

I opt to grab a bagged lunch for the day, choosing the paper bag that looks the least soaked in grease and who-knows-what-else, before heading out of the cafeteria with a wave and a smile to everyone inside. I consider paying a visit to Sayla or Grett but decide I'd much rather be, well, anywhere else.

Don't get me wrong I really do like spending time with the people who feels close enough to call me their friend, it's just tiring sometimes. I'm not who they want to be friends with, but at the same time I must be because they haven't shunned me out of their circle yet. I'm a Domingos and that means a lot to them, but I like to think that sometimes there are more important things about me that make them want to stick around.

Just before I reach the stairwell I change my mind again. I've been up in my room all day and that's no way to be. Not when you have people to visit, very important people to say the least. All of these 'friends' that I both love and hate at the same time are the ones who allow me this comfortable life in the toughest district in Panem. I owe them and my family name everything that I am, even if I hate to so much as think that.

I turn around and head outside, quickly passing by a couple of kids that scramble to get out of my way. Everything in Zero seems to move so slowly and that's one thing I can't stand about it. People often ask why I seem to rush everywhere when there couldn't possibly be anywhere to go, but those people are wrong. I'm not going to meander my way through everything. I may have nowhere to go but at least I'm getting nowhere as fast as I can.

"Slow your roll, kiddo."

I pause a second at the voice but quickly decide that they couldn't possibly be talking to me. No one would dare, not with my name. I don't even bother to turn and see who's making a fool of themselves by calling across the walk at someone. I don't even bother to care.

"Hey, kid!" This time the small wondering part of me wins and I do turn around. Right in time to see a couple of grown men in black suits rushing at me from around ten feet away. I don't hesitate, I immediately spin back around and start running. While before I didn't have a clear direction I sure do now, the hell away from here.

"Stop! Come back here!"

I do neither of those things. Instead I hang a left and my feet take me to Sayla's, though I'm not sure why. She'd never let me in, not with those two fools chasing after me. Still, it's the only place I can think to go.

I hear heavy steps behind me and curse under my breath. There is hardly anyone around to get lost between because everyone's inside having lunch. I'm an easy target and they're about to hit a bulls eye if I don't think of something quick.

Nothing comes to mind so I just keep running, that is until someone steps out and blocks my path. If I didn't still hear two sets of footprints behind me I'd have thought it was one of the same two guys. They all look the damned same if you ask me.

* * *

 **Lena Castillo, 17, Sector O**

* * *

I don't even feel the sun burning through my eyelids until a loud knock wakes me from my deep sleep. I groan and roll over, trying to get the sun out of my eyes but the light seems to have taken over the entire room. I pull my thin blanket up over my head but the only result is warmer, muskier air getting trapped against my face. Still, I'm too tired to even think about getting out of bed.

The knock comes again and this time I can hear a small voice mumbling something behind the door. I don't know what he's saying but the voice is definitely Carter. I groan and roll over, nearly throwing myself down from the top bunk in the process.

Another knock. "I'm coming Carter, hold on a second!"

I climb down from my bunk and make one last attempt to rub the sleep out of my eyes before opening the door. Sure enough, Carter's shy smile greets me. "You didn't come and get me for breakfast this morning, Lena."

"Sorry," I mumble. "I guess I didn't wake up to the alarm."

That's not entirely true. I definitely heard the shrill shriek of an alarm this morning at six o'clock, I just decided I was tired enough to sleep through it. My other roommates weren't so lucky, though, I heard all of them clamber from their bunks and head down to breakfast not too long after. I think one of them called to me but I don't even think she expected an answer this time. I've been in the same room with mostly the same girls since I was six years old. If they don't know I don't like them by now that's nobody's fault but their own.

"I brought you lunch," he says, passing me a bag dripping with whatever's inside. "I was too late to get breakfast so I had to wait til lunch time."

"Thanks," I say, taking the bag eagerly. Missing breakfast is the least of my worries. The food at lunch is always dozens of times better; at least it changes day to day unlike the bowl of mushy oatmeal waiting for us every morning. Whatever's in this bag has got to be at least a little better than that.

I peer inside and see a sandwich wrapped in a napkin and a tiny sip of what I assume to be juice. Standard lunch around here if I ever did see one. I invite Carter in and he takes a seat on the floor, not wanting to touch any of the other girls' things. I've gotten in trouble for that a couple of times and he remembers the punishment I received for it. A sour milk soaked mattress for a week, provided by my resident 'girl friends'.

I pull on a sweater as I bite into the sandwich, being careful not to worsen any of the many holes in its sleeves. Carter stares up at me with a tiny smile on his face and my heart hurts just enough that I look away and concentrate on my lunch. I hate making him wait like this, no matter that he would certainly say that it's fine and nothing for me to worry about. I'm all he has in this world ever since our parents gave up their custody of us to the Warden. I'm all he has in the way of family and even these small mess ups feel like I'm failing him.

I can feel my face begin to redden and I turn away, pretending to look for something on my bunk. He knows me, probably better than I could even explain to anyone myself, and he'll see frustration written all over my face. For a thirteen year old he's awfully smart, kind too. He doesn't belong here with these horrible people. That's one thought I don't think I'll ever let go of. That he deserves so much better than District Zero, but I can give him nothing not even a new pair of shoes to wear after his old ones got too small.

All thoughts dissolve when I hear the second knock. I look over to Carter, but his face shows none of the shock that I do until... well until he sees my face. "Who is it, Lena?"

I shake my head and swallow thickly, taking soft steps towards the door. My hand barely touches the knob before I pull it away. How can something as simple as a knock on the door feel this terrifying? Maybe because the only person that I could guess to be on the other side of the door is sitting on the floor behind me.

I twist and pull the door open carefully, but something pushes it in towards me as soon as I've unlocked it. Suddenly I am surrounded by silence and facing people that I never thought I would even be unfortunate enough to see in my life. There is no denying who they are- from their black uniforms to the weapon holsters at their sides it's pretty obvious.

No one says a word for a second, a very, very long second. Then the woman addresses me and confirms what I'd already been fairly sure was true. "Lena Castillo? Please come with us."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello anyone that is still following this story or may have come across it. It is I, back on this website after a literal year after stumbling upon this unfinished chapter when I was cleaning out my computer drive. I decided to try and finish something and here it is.**

 **No this doesn't mean that I will necessarily be posting anymore for this story. I might, but I don't want to make a promise I likely can't keep. I don't think I'm back but I have felt the writing bug biting lately and this felt pretty good.**

 **It's summer anything can happen.**

 **If you're still reading drop me a note- 'Where the %$# were you?' or 'Wow, why even bother to come back' will do just fine. I'd be amused to see if any of you are still here.**


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